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FSX Landing with ILS Approach

I am new to this game and I have managed to land and take off without any problems. The only thing is that on flight, I travel from one airport to another via the instructions given to me on the radio. On the last part or near the airport I always have to rely on freehand landing as I do not understand or see anything which will guide me into the airstrip in a straight line, using the equipment. I wish to learn this so I can land the plane in darkness or with fog by using instruments and see the airport come to me straight in the final instance.

On one of my saved flights on final approach the radio tells me "Descend and maintain 1,500 Cleared ILS runway 13L approach. Maintain 1,500 until established on the localizer." I descend to 1,500 but after that I do not know what to do, or what established on the localizer means, since nothing happens on my plane and no further instructions are given to me via the radio to let me know when I have been established by the localizer. I see the airport on my left and I would carry on straight unless I turn freely and make for the airport at my free will.

Please can anyone help me with this problem as I have been playing for a number of months and enjoy this game a lot, but this way I am landing takes the realism out of it.

First off, don't try it in a 737 to start with, learn in the C172 and build up.

So you've picked the 172 and now you are going to file your IFR plan in the route planner. Pick a start airport and a destination airport (remember it's a Cessna and pick two fairly close together and a destination with an ILS).
Now click on the destination airport and note down the height, and all ILS frequencies and NDB frequencies also.

Pick IFR and VOR to VOR nav and calculate route.

Now how I do it, is print the NAV LOG and keep it beside me.

Start the flight, and resist the temptation to switch to GPS and nav on the autopilot. Dial into NAV1 the frequency of the first VOR, if it is close enough the needle will swing away to one side or the other, if not don't worry, sometimes we need to get some altitude to find it.

Take off and after getting ATC direction you will be heading in roughly the right direction. When the VOR comes "alive" on the OBI, rotate the dial so that the needle is centred vertically, then you can read off the direction and fly to it. Repeat for each of the VOR's. If using autopilot then you can track the VORs by hitting the NAV button, but you must have the needle lined up to track properly.

When given clearance for a runway, input that runways ILS freqency into NAV1 and rotate the dial to the direction given for that runway. After you have done this the first time follow the ATC instruction to the point where you are handed over to the destination airport tower. When that happens for your first flight make sure you have the autpilot on and the approach height ATC gave you set on it and then hit the APR button. This will guide you in and let you see what the needles for ILS mean and how to follow them (watch the approach rather than fly it). Disconnect the autopilot when 250ft above airport height and fly in to land.

If you like repeat the flight and try hand flying it and keeping the needles aligned yourself and this will give a better understanding of how to do it.

Thanks for the quick reply, with this information I now have a clearer idea of what to practice and managed one good landing using autopilot. The best part was that on approach the airport was lined up straight. Thanks again.